“Fantasy ignores constraints; imagination works within them. A genuinely possible future is one that does not violate the laws of nature and for which we can, at least in principle, explain a path from here to there, that is compatible with the physical laws.” –Chiara Marletto
Chiara Marletto is a Research Fellow at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. Her research interests are at the foundations of physics. Her research has focused on issues in Quantum Information Theory, Condensed-Matter Physics, Quantum Biology and Thermodynamics.
Some of her recent work has utilized a recently proposed generalization of the quantum theory of information – constructor theory – to address issues at the foundations of the theory of control and causation in physics.
These include applications to defining general principles encompassing classical, quantum and post-quantum theories of information; and to assessing the compatibility of essential features of living systems, such as the ability to self-reproduce and evolve, with fundamental laws of physics, in particular with quantum theory.
They also include the definition of a new class of witnesses of non-classicality in systems that need not obey quantum theory, such as gravity; and a scale-independent definition of irreversibility, work and heat, based on constructor-theoretic ideas.
You describe physics through what is possible and impossible. How can this way of thinking help people move from “the world is broken” to a better world is possible”?
Physics is fundamentally about distinguishing between what is possible and what is not possible according to the laws of nature. Once we understand that many societal problems are not laws of physics but consequences of bad explanations or poor designs, improvement becomes a matter of a lack of knowledge, and knowledge can grow.
When people feel overwhelmed by crisis, what does science teach us about the power of imagination to discover new solutions?
Science teaches us that new possibilities are often invisible until someone discovers the right explanation by exercising their imagination within the scientific method. Human progress has repeatedly depended on imagination disciplined by reason: the ability to conceive of alternatives and then test them against reality. The lesson from science is to learn how to harness imagination to see new problems and solve them as fast as possible.
.What is the difference between fantasy and imagination — and how do we know when an imagined future can become a real, testable possibility?
Fantasy ignores constraints; imagination works within them. A genuinely possible future is one that does not violate the laws of nature and for which we can, at least in principle, explain a path from here to there, that is compatible with the physical laws.
You’ve written about *The Science of Can and Can’t*. What are some “cant’s” society assumes are permanent — but may actually be design failures waiting to be reimagined?
Many social impossibilities are not fundamental limitations but failures of imagination and institutional design. Poverty, destructive conflict, or environmental degradation are often treated as inevitable when, in fact, they may simply reflect that we have not yet created the necessary knowledge to solve them. We need to think of constructive solutions rather than limiting ourselves to avoiding problems.
What prevents human beings, institutions, and governments from imagining better systems when the old ones are clearly failing?
We often avoid deep problem-solving because we try to prioritize stability and incremental, safe thinking. Progress requires criticism, experimentation beyond current boundaries, and the possibility that deeply rooted assumptions may be wrong.
Is genius something rare, or is it a capacity that emerges when people learn how to ask better questions, make better explanations, and challenge inherited assumptions?
Genius is often misunderstood as a mysterious gift possessed by a few extraordinary people. In reality, creativity can emerge in all people when they are free to question assumptions, seek good explanations, and persist through criticism and error, undisturbed by distractions.
Error is not the opposite of progress; it is the mechanism by which progress occurs. Science advances because mistakes can be identified and corrected, and societies become more resilient when people learn that being wrong is not a humiliation but an opportunity to improve.
Constructor theory asks what transformations are possible. If we applied that to society, what would it mean to transform fear into courage, confusion into clarity, and crisis into capability?
Constructor theory focuses attention on transformations: what can be changed, and what is required to change it. Applied socially, this means asking not whether fear or confusion exist, but what knowledge, institutions, and conditions are needed to transform fear and confusion into courage, understanding, and capability.
How can science help ordinary people become better problem-solvers in daily life — in their communities, families, work, and civic responsibilities?
Science is ultimately a way of thinking about problems rationally and creatively. It teaches us that difficulties are not signs of hopelessness but invitations to seek better explanations and more effective methodologies, and ultimately to find new and better problems to solve.